Manufacturing process of flexible packaging with dispensing valve

ABSTRACT

Method for manufacturing flexible packages having a dispensing valve; which comprises: the vertical forming of a tubular body ( 2 ) by means of the vertical displacement and the longitudinal folding of a thermosealable film ( 1 ); the longitudinal sealing of two vertical ends ( 11, 12 ) of thermosealable film ( 1 ); obtaining independent flexible envelopes ( 3 ) from the tubular body ( 2 ), provided with a closed bottom and an open upper mouth ( 33 ), by means carrying out successive transversal sealings ( 32 ) and transversal cuts in said tubular body; and the horizontal displacement of the successive flexible envelopes ( 3 ) by a series of workstations in which the metering of the product to be packaged is carried out, the insertion of a dispensing valve ( 4 ) in the upper mouth ( 33 ) of the flexible envelope ( 3 ) and the sealing ( 34 ) of the upper mouth ( 33 ), fixing the dispensing valve ( 4 ).

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is a method for manufacturingflexible packages having a dispensing valve which has characteristicsaimed at minimizing the space required for manufacturing these types ofpackages and notably simplifying said manufacturing process.

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is applicable to the sector dedicated to themanufacturing of packages and in particular packages for liquids orpasty products.

PRIOR ART

At present, there are a number of packages on the market for all typesof products and they have a more or less rigid configuration, when madeof plastics material or sheets which include layers of differentmaterials such as cardboard, aluminum and plastic.

There are also a large number of packages on the market, dedicated inparticular to liquids and pasty products which comprise a body in theform of a bag or envelope formed in a flexible thermosealable film andwhich have at their upper end a dispensing valve, generally made ofrigid plastic, joined to the envelope of the package by thermosealing.

From among these types of packages can be distinguished those whichcomprise a flat flexible envelope provided with two faces, one front andanother rear, joined by their periphery; and those which comprise anenvelope which has two portions folded in the manner of a bellowsbetween the ends of the front and rear face.

The flexible packages provided with a flat envelope are commonlymanufactured in horizontal packaging machines carrying out the unwindingof a thermosealable film, the folding of the two longitudinal halves ofthe film towards the upper area to form the front and rear faces of thepackages, subsequently carrying out the lateral sealings required todelimit the lateral ends of the envelope, the separation by cutting thesuccessive envelopes, the filling of the same and lastly the insertionof the valve in the upper mouth of the envelope and the closing of thesame by sealing.

The manufacturing of these flexible packages of flat envelope, whencarried out in a horizontal packer, requires the use of an elevatedspace for the setting up of the machine in question.

The flexible packages which comprise an envelope with lateral bellows asdescribed for example in the European patent EP1538105, or in theEuropean patent EP 0751081, have a much greater constructive complexitysince the manufacture of the envelope is carried out in a flat manner,that is to say, with the envelope lying flat and from four portions offilm previously molded. Two of the portions of thermosealable filmintended to form the front and rear faces of the envelope are arrangedflat while the other two portions of the film intended to form thelateral bellows are arranged folded through their longitudinal centralarea between the opposing lateral ends of the portions forming the frontand rear face.

Specifically in the mentioned European patent, EP 0751081 there isdescribed the method for manufacturing which requires a temporal joiningto be established between the four portions of film forming the frontand rear faces and the lateral bellows, subsequently carrying out thesealing of the same and leaving an opening open to insert the dispensingvalve which is lastly fixed to the package.

In addition to the complexity which is involved in its manufacture, thispackage has the drawback that it must be subsequently manipulated tocarry out the filling of the same by way of the valve, which makes thepackaging of the product within its interior difficult and moreexpensive.

The technical problem posed is thus the development of a method formanufacturing flexible packages having a dispensing valve, of the typementioned above which notably simplifies its manufacture and even itsfilling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method for manufacturing flexible packages having a dispensing valvewhich is the object of this invention has constructive particularitiesaimed at drastically simplifying the manufacture of these types ofpackages and in particular flexible packages with lateral bellows,although the use of the same method for manufacturing flexible packageswith a flat envelope, that is to say, without lateral bellows, is notdisregarded.

In order to achieve objects set out, the method of the inventioncomprises the following steps:

-   -   a) the unwinding of a flexible thermosealable film;    -   b) the vertical forming of a continuous tubular body by means of        the vertical displacement and the longitudinal folding of the        thermosealable film such that the vertical ends of the film are        arranged opposing each other along their entire length;    -   c) the longitudinal sealing of the two opposing ends of the film        laterally closing the tubular body;    -   d) obtaining independent flexible envelopes from the tubular        body, provided with a closed bottom and an open upper mouth, by        means of carrying out successive transversal sealings (32) and        transversal cuts in said tubular body;    -   e) the horizontal displacement of the successive independent        envelopes by a series of work stations in which the metering or        filling of the product to be packaged in the interior of the        envelope is carried out, the insertion of an opening valve in        the upper mouth of the envelope and the sealing of the upper        mouth of the envelope, establishing the fixing of the dispensing        valve to the envelope and the finishing of the package.

This method of manufacture notably simplifies the manufacture of theflexible packages having a dispensing valve since the vertical formingof the body of the envelope enables this to be flat or have lateralbellows, being formed, in any case, from a single sheet of film and witha single longitudinal sealing, that is to say, in the verticaldirection, for closing the edge of the envelope.

Another advantage which this method of manufacturing provides is thatthe formation of the envelopes is carried out vertically, that is tosay, in a direction parallel to that of the filling of the package, thelatter being maintained in a vertical position from the obtainingthereof from the continuous tubular body to the finalizing of thepackage.

This allows the filling of the package with the product to be packagedto be carried out before or after inserting the dispensing valve in theupper mouth of the envelope and carrying out the sealing of the mouth ofthe envelope establishing the fixing of the dispensing valve to theenvelope.

The formation of the envelopes vertically, and the rest of theoperations (filling, insertion of the dispensing valve and upper closingof the package) in the horizontal direction, significantly reduces thespace required for the installation of the machinery required forcarrying out these operations which constitutes a highly relevantadvantage with respect to the processes for manufacturing which carryout all of the operations in the horizontal direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In order to complement the ongoing description and with the object offacilitating the understanding of the characteristics of the invention,a set of drawings accompany this specification in which the following isdepicted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an elevation of an exemplary embodimentof the method for manufacturing flexible packages having a dispensingvalve according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a flexible package provided with anenvelope with a bellows obtained by the method of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the tubular element formed verticallyaccording to the method of the invention for manufacturing the envelopewith lateral bellows from FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a flexible package provided with aflat envelope obtained by the method of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the tubular element formed verticallyaccording to the method of the invention for manufacturing the flatenvelope (without lateral bellows) from FIG. 5.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As depicted in FIG. 1, the method of the invention comprises theunwinding of a flexible thermosealable film (1) supplied in a reel andthe vertical formation, with said thermosealable film (1), of acontinuous tubular body (2) by means of the vertical displacement andthe longitudinal folding of the thermosealable film (1) such that thevertical ends (11, 12) of the thermosealable film (1) are arrangedopposing each other along their entire length.

Subsequently, in the tubular body (2), a longitudinal sealing (31) iscarried out which joins the two opposing ends (11, 12) of thethermosealable film laterally closing the tubular body (2).

By means of carrying out transversal sealings (32) and transversal cutsin the tubular body (2), independent successive flexible envelopes (3)are obtained, provided with a bottom closed by the correspondingtransversal sealing (32) and with an open upper mouth (33).

As these envelopes (3) are formed and released from the tubular body(2), which is produced at a determined height, they are horizontallydisplaced towards a series of work stations in which the filling andfinishing is carried out.

In said work stations, which are horizontally spaced, the opening of theenvelope (3) is carried out, laterally approximating the opposing endsof the upper mouth (33) and introducing in its interior a blowing cone(C) to separate the opposing faces of the same.

Subsequently, the metering (D) or filling of the same with the productto be packaged is carried out, the upper mouth (33) of the flexibleenvelope (3) is stretched (E), separating its opposing ends; adispensing valve (4) is introduced into the said upper mouth (33) bymeans of an automatic feeder; and a sealing (34) is carried out whichcloses the upper mouth (33) and fixes the dispensing valve (4) to theflexible envelope (3), finalizing the manufacture of the package.

This method of manufacturing, as a function of the horizontal section ofthe tubular body (2) formed vertically with a single thermosealablefilm, allows the following to be obtained:

-   -   packages whose envelope (3 a) has a single longitudinal sealing        (31), two faces (35) front and rear and two lateral bellows        (36), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.    -   packages whose envelope (3 b) has a single longitudinal sealing        (31), two faces (35) front and rear, lacking lateral bellows and        adopting a flattened configuration, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Once the nature of the invention has been sufficiently described, aswell as a preferred exemplary embodiment, it should accordingly bepointed out that the materials, form, size and arrangement of theelements described may be modified, provided that it does not involve analteration of the essential characteristics of the invention as claimedbelow.

1. Method for manufacturing flexible packages having a dispensing valvecharacterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) the unwindingof a flexible thermosealable film (1); b) the vertical forming of acontinuous tubular body (2) by means of the vertical displacement andthe longitudinal folding of the thermosealable film (1) such that thevertical ends (11, 12) of the thermosealable film (1) are arrangedopposing each other along their entire length; c) the longitudinalsealing of the two opposing vertical ends (11, 12) of the thermosealablefilm (1) laterally closing the tubular body (2); d) obtainingindependent flexible successive envelopes from the tubular body (2),provided with a closed bottom and an open upper mouth (33), by means ofcarrying out successive transversal sealings (32) and transversal cutsin said tubular body; e) the horizontal displacement of the successiveindependent envelopes (3) by a series of work stations in which themetering (D) or filling of the product to be packaged in the interior ofthe successive flexible envelopes (3) is carried out, the insertion ofan dispensing valve (4) in the upper mouth (33) of the flexibleenvelopes (3) and the sealing (34) of the upper mouth (33) of theflexible envelopes, establishing its closing and the fixing of thedispensing valve (4) to the corresponding flexible envelope (3). 2.Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during verticalforming of the tubular body (2), there are defined in the thermosealablefilm (1), longitudinal folds which define a flexible envelope (3 a)having two faces (35), front and rear, and two lateral bellows (36). 3.Method according to claim 1, characterized in that during verticalforming of the tubular body (2), there are defined in the thermosealablefilm, longitudinal folds which define a flexible envelope (3 a) havingtwo faces (35), front and rear, and two lateral bellows (36).